Attractions and Places To See around Garvros - Top 8

For Ballyshannon, Rory Gallagher is not just a world-famous guitarist; he is the "Born and Bred" pride of Ireland's oldest town. Although he moved to Cork at a young age, Ballyshannon claims him with heart and soul as their own son. He was born here in 1948 at the Rock Hospital, and that deep connection can be felt everywhere in the streets. In the eyes of the local community, Rory embodies the humble, hardworking spirit of Donegal. He was the man who brought the blues to the Irish soul, armed with his iconic, battered Fender Stratocaster and his signature checkered shirt. For the locals, he is the reason thousands of fans from all over the world flock to the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival every year, turning the town into the centre of rock 'n' roll for a while. Rory is not a distant legend here, but a tangible presence that lives on in the statue on The Diamond and the colourful murals that adorn the town.

In Ballyshannon, the oldest town in Ireland, you'll find two iconic tributes to blues-rock legend Rory Gallagher, who was born here in 1948. In the heart of the town, on The Diamond, stands the life-size 2010 bronze Rory Gallagher statue, capturing the guitarist in full flow with his battered Fender Stratocaster. This is an essential photo opportunity for fans wanting to soak up the atmosphere of the annual International Tribute Festival.

For those who want to hear the music of Rory GALLAGHER – whom the British newspaper The Times praised with "He is one of the few guitarists you can recognize within seconds, his style is so individual." –: In 1977, the native Irishman (1948 to 1995) gave a one-hour concert on the then popular German show "Rockpalast" by Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), which can be viewed on YouTube => https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qkr-XlNZKM

Rory Gallagher (born 2nd March, 1948, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal - died 14th June, 1995, London) was an Irish musician and songwriter. He is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing, and is often referred to as "the greatest guitarist you've never heard of".[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rory_Gallagher]

The shimmering waters of Lough Melvin attract anglers from around the world for its beauty and diverse fish. The lake is home to three unique species of trout, as well as salmon, and an endemic species of char, the Melvin charr. If you want to try your hand at fishing, you should purchase a license and consider renting a boat. The lake is 7.5 miles (12 km) long and 1.9 miles (3 km) wide and set amongst the beautiful green countryside along the border of County Leitrim and Country Fermanagh. If you are not into fishing, there's plenty of wonderful flora and fauna to enjoy too.

As the Glenanniff River travels down from the mountains above, it has eroded the local blue limestone to form a deep river valley. Fowley’s Falls is not a single drop waterfall; instead, it cascades in a series of drops over the exposed bedrock to form a spectacular torrent of water rushing through the steep valley towards Lough Melvin.

Flowing from Slieve Glah to the Atlantic Ocean, the River Erme is the second longest in Ulster. The river forms part of the border, winding through the beautiful green rolling hills that Ireland is well known for. The river often becomes hard to distinguish as it passes through many Loughs below the Cavan and south Fermanagh drumlin hills. Many Christian and Pagan ancient ruins can be found along the river, some of which are perched on islands and only accessible by boat.

Unique river landscape.